


Blue Christmas

by jubilee_line



Series: MCYT Oneshots [6]
Category: Dream Team - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF, mcyt
Genre: Angst, Baking, Bisexual GeorgeNotFound, Christmas, Christmas Angst, Christmas Fluff, Family Issues, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gay, Hurt/Comfort, Internalized Homophobia, Love Confessions, M/M, Mutual Pining, No Pandemic, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Songfic, Suppressed Feelings, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, bisexual dream, dream flies to the UK to celebrate christmas with George, dream is a competitive bitch, hopeless gays, no beta we die like men, they're both hopeless gays
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:35:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 14,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28077819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jubilee_line/pseuds/jubilee_line
Summary: When George falls out with his parents, he doesn't plan to celebrate Christmas - after all, Christmas is a time you spend with family, right? Sapnap and Dream bet $100 on who could give George the best present and before he knows it Dream is on a plane to London.
Relationships: Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF), GeorgeNotFound & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Niki | Nihachu & Wilbur Soot
Series: MCYT Oneshots [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2015708
Comments: 52
Kudos: 377





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've made a Spotify playlist to go with the story, this one has some of my personal favourite christmas covers which I feel encompass the vibe of the story, as well as the cover that it is named after (Blue Christmas - The Lumineers): https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0Vb6ANRGekarvUTjRzjypS

Dream lay in his bed. His body was deadly still - if it weren't for the periodic rises and falls of the slopes of his chest under the thin sheet masking it then one might assume that he was dead simply for the fact that he had remained flat on his back, eyes wide open, for the past 6 hours. Although his body was motionless, his mind was racing. He was sure he had gone through every single scenario that could happen in the next 24 hours yet he still seemed to find more to panic about. By the time his phone alarm drew him out of his anxious daze he felt deathly tired and hyper on adrenaline at the same time. _I can sleep on the plane,_ he thought to himself as he dragged himself out of bed, rummaging through his bag for the 5th time to check he had everything... or was it the 6th? He had lost count. After a quick shower and brush of his teeth, he threw on some clothes and stumbled down the stairs.

"Good morning Clay! When are you off?" Dream's Dad asked as he sipped on the mug of coffee he held, flicking through the news.

"In a few minutes I think." He mumbled as he rushed through the kitchen, giving Patches a quick scratch on the head before putting his rucksack by the door, turning on his heels to grab his suitcase next.

"Aren't you going to have some breakfast?" His mum called softly, not wanting to wake up the rest of his siblings who wouldn't be waking up for another few hours.

"I'll grab something at the airport!" Dream shouted back as he ran up the stairs again. He knew he probably wouldn't; the swarm of butterflies attacking his stomach made him quite sure that if he ate, he would most likely throw it back up. After lugging his suitcase back down the stairs, he shouted a quick goodbye to his siblings; they had all come home for Christmas which they begrudgingly celebrated a few days early, agreeing that he could video call into the actual Christmas Dinner, to allow Dream to make this trip of his. He gave his parents both a quick hug, reassured his mother that he hadn't forgotten anything, and off he went.

The drive to the airport was surprisingly painless and whilst driving was generally something that relaxed him, his mind couldn't help but wander to the reason he was taking this trip in the first place.

\----- _one month ago-----_

_"Sapnap did you just start playing Christmas music?" Dream groaned as 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' started to play in the call the trio had been sat in for the past few hours._

_"Yes, what about it bitch?" Sapnap shot back playfully. "It's been Halloween and it's now the middle of November so we can start listening to Christmas music. Stop being such a scrooge."_

_"I'm not, I'm not! It's just too early."_

_"No it's not! I'm excited for Christmas dude! All my family are coming over to stay at my parent's for a week, I'll be on Christmas break so no schoolwork, it's gonna be great."_

_"Fine can we at least put on a better Christmas song then?" Dream laughed._

_"What do you mean 'a better Christmas song?' All I Want For Christmas is iconic and you can't convince me otherwise."_

_"But it's so overplayed!"_

_"Well deal with it. You're seeing your family for Christmas right?"_

_"Oh yeah of course, only Mum, Dad and my siblings though, but it will be nice to spend a couple days with them I guess!"_

_Sapnap was about to answer, but instead started to sing along, horribly out of tune and purposefully so. When he got to the high note it was too much, Dream decided._

_"Dude I'm actually gonna go deaf, shut up."_

_"I'm so offended! My singing is beautiful. Honestly, people these days don't recognise talent!" Sapnap said, mocking offence._

_"I'm with Dream, sorry Sap." George added, and Dream only then noticed how quiet he had been._

_"What are you doing for Christmas, George?" Sapnap asked nonchalantly as the song came to a close._

_"Oh... I'm not... I'm not really doing anything?" George answered, his voice soft and dejected and Dream cursed himself for not fully thinking it through._

_"Why? You always love Christm-" Sapnap started, but was cut off._

_"Nick." Dream used his real name this time, knowing he would get the memo. A couple months prior, George had called Dream at what would have been the middle of the night for him, mid-breakdown. It was shocking, not just that his friend was crying, but because George never cried yet there he was, hyperventilating as he walked down the streets of Brighton at 10 o clock, the drumming of the rain in the background. Once he had calmed him down, George explained that his parents had practically disowned him. He finally told them that he had quit his job at the software company to fully commit to working on his youtube channel full time and to say they hadn't taken it well would be an understatement. There was something else, something that was on the tip of George's tongue, yet he refused to say it. He came close a few times, starting sentences and stopping himself before it was too late, but Dream insisted he only told him what he was comfortable telling him, and so the other part was left unspoken. That didn't mean that Dream didn't still wonder about it, multiple suspicions constantly plagued his mind, curiosity fuelling it. He longed to know what had made George's parents react so badly, at least that way he could console the Brit properly, but alas, the words remained unsaid as George trudged on._

_"It's okay, Dream. I fell out with my family earlier this year so..." he paused, drawing in a deep breath, "so I'm not exactly invited to Christmas. I think I'm just not gonna celebrate... it will be fine, I'll be fine." George sounded more like he was convincing himself than the others._

_"Damn George I'm so sorry I had no clue." Sapnap replied, being genuine was rare for him so at least George knew he meant it._

_"It's okay- can we talk about something else please?"_

_\-----present day-----_

Dream pulled into the car park, dropping off his car before taking the shuttle to the main airport. Though he was nervous, he smiled a little to himself. Himself and Sapnap had made a bet of $100 as to who could get George the best Christmas present. They knew he probably wasn't going to get many this year, so they both agreed that they wanted to get something extra special. Little did Sapnap know, his had no chance against Dream's - he was literally flying to see George, what could beat that! Although he had practically forgotten about the bet by the time he had planned everything out with his family, the exceptionally competitive part of him was elated that he would beat the Texan, not that he cared about the money. Just being able to say that he won with a smug grin would be enough. 

The airport was bustling, you could feel excitement in the air. It seemed like around every corner was another crowd of excited toddlers, fidgety teenagers, young couples, families, grandparents, all waiting to see loved ones. Dream wasn't religious, but the near-universal joy that Christmas brings to those who celebrate it was one of his favourite parts of the holiday. All the airport staff were even friendlier than usual as he checked in and went through security, and although he couldn't stomach any food, he did grab himself a coffee before heading to the gate. Before boarding the plane, he sent Sapnap and George messages about some family event that he couldn't miss or something, a weak excuse as to why he couldn't answer any texts but he knew they would get suspicious if he disappeared for 10 hours in the middle of the day in Florida - the man practically lived in front of his computer.

The plane ride felt simultaneously like it took years and minutes. Dream was constantly fidgeting, swapping between reading a book, listening to music, playing mobile games, watching movies, but never really settling on anything. He didn't even consider sleep; he knew it wouldn't come. The mix of excitement and nervousness of meeting his best friend in real life for the first time, showing said friend what he looked like and on top of that, it was a surprise so he had no clue how George was going to react kept his heart racing.

When they landed, it was the evening in London, the sky clear and the air crisp. He pulled out a hoodie he had thankfully remembered to pack in his carry-on bag since the weather in December in Florida is comparable to the summers in the UK, and although Dream admittedly did prefer the heat, he would be lying if he said the chill in the air didn't make it feel that bit more like Christmas. 

As he made his way to the baggage claim, it finally hit him what he had done. _Holy fucking shit. I've flown over to the UK, George is gonna freak out, I bet he doesn't even want to see me, what if he thinks I'm ugly, what if he hates me, what if he hates me, what if he-_

"Is your bag not there sir? All the bags from Florida have all been unloaded and you don't seem to be recognising any of them." A worker approached him and he realised that he had been out of it for a while, the swarm of Americans who were surrounding him had thinned to just a dozen or so people, a few lone bags circling around the conveyor belt.

"Oh-um sorry, no it is there! I was just... deep in thought." Dream told the worker, his face heating up in embarrassment as he quickly moved to grab his suitcase. After getting the rental car he put in the address he had been sent from Sapnap into his phone, since he had it from sending George a gift for his birthday. _That motherfucker better have given me the right address I swear to god._ Clay thought to himself as he started the car, quickly getting used to it being on the 'wrong' side of the road.

The menacing count-down of minutes to his destination only seemed to taunt him, his heartbeat racing faster as the numbers got smaller. By the time he was in single digits he could have sworn he was almost hyperventilating. His mind was telling him to turn back but his heart made him drive on and before he knew it he was standing in front of a dark blue door at 10:30 in the evening and before he could even think about what he was doing he knocked on the door sharply.

"Sorry, can I help you?"

"Merry Christmas, George."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "And then- and then if it couldn't get any worse it did because you know what- you know what I ended up telling them? The one thing that could possibly make my extremely catholic parents even more furious- I was so angry I accidentally told them that I." He paused again, another deep breath, another squeeze of their hands to comfort. "I'm bisexual."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realised that I forgot to link the spotify playlist on the first chapter when I published it, so here it is if you've already read it: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0Vb6ANRGekarvUTjRzjypS
> 
> tw: mentions of homophobia (including use of f-slur), implied depression

"Sorry, can I help you?"

"Merry Christmas, George."

George stood there, his face blank. He rubbed his eyes, blinked a couple times, then shook his head slightly as if to clear the thoughts inside like a child might an etch-a-sketch.

"Sorry, do I know you?" His voice was tired, slightly scratchy but undoubtedly George, and that just made Dream's nervous smile grow wider.

"You do, yes!" Dream laughed fondly, watching George's expression go through all 5 stages of grief before his eyes widened and he stumbled back a step.

"Wait no way. I- what?" He rubbed his eyes once again, digging the heels of his palms in and somehow looked confused when Dream was still stood there when he opened them.

"George its me!" With that, the daze George seemed to be under broke and he grinned widely, taking a step forward again.

"Dream what the actual fuck why the _hell_ are you here- wait _how_ the hell are you here-"

"Aren't you gonna give me a hug Georgie?" He teased, taking a step forward to meet the shorter in a bone-crushing hug. They both clung onto each other for dear life in the doorway of a street of terraced houses in the late evening the day before Christmas eve and the situation might had seemed bizarre but neither of them cared.

"What are you _doing_ Dream?" George mumbled into his chest, gripping the neon-green hoodie in tight fists.

"I came to see you for Christmas! I'm your Christmas present George!" He chuckled into the brunette hair he was resting his head on.

"But why would you do that?"

"Oh I can go if you want me to-"

"Don't even think about it." George tried to hug him tighter, as if it was physically possible for him to do so. The pair pulled apart, George's hands slipping down from where he had fists of Dream's hoodie in the middle of his back to his wrists as he looked up with curiosity.

"I see why you hid your face from me." George teased, but quickly stopped the moment he saw Dream's expression drop albeit only slight. "I'm kidding, you look good!" He laughed, going up on his tip toes so he could mess up the taller's blond hair affectionately, even if it was with great difficulty. 

"Thank you." Dream's cheeks hurt from laughing and the two just stood there for a little longer, neither really believing that this was actually happening and the other was really stood there in front of them.

"Oh- err do you want to come in? Sorry it's so messy I haven't had the chance to clean it- I mean to be fair I didn't know you were coming but I haven't exactly been doing-"

"George, it's fine- oh" He cut off George, starting to reassure the other until he truly took in the state of the room. Takeaway containers and bottles littered the floor, a stack of unwashed dishes in the sink. Normally, you wouldn't really bat an eyelid at a 24 year-old's flat being messy, but this was George. George who would stay up until 3am to make sure every line of the code worked as it should, George who proof-read every single thing he commented online, George who wouldn't turn on his camera unless his bed was made properly and his bedroom was properly tidy. That was what was worrying Dream; he was pretty certain that he could confidently infer that this was not the state George would normally be living in.

"Yeah I'm so sorry it's really bad just- wait in your car or something I'll tidy up." George's voice go faster and a little shaky as he rushed forward, collecting empty containers and picking up plates.

"No wait that's not what I meant George. Let me help." Dream said as he walked into the room, starting to reach out to pick up an empty bottle of vodka _wait an empty bottle of vodka?_ George hurried back to Dream, standing between him and the bottle before grabbing his arm and trying to drag him towards the door. 

"No I'm not letting you help, you're my guest!" He protested as Dream, being a well-built 6'3 Floridian, simply stood still, suppressing laughter at the skinny brunet's feeble attempt to move him. 

"George, I showed up in the middle of the night at your house, I'm helping you tidy up." 

"But-"

"No 'but's, I'm helping." Dream told him, his voice friendly but firm.

"Okay I guess. It doesn't normally look like this, it's just... yeah I guess you could say I haven't been doing too great." George mumbled as he got back to tidying, Dream joining in this time.

"You can tell me all about it when we're done, okay?" He gave the Brit a smile, god knows he needed one at the least. 

About half an hour later, the room was in much better shape; all the takeaway containers were in the bin, the bottles in the recycling, plates washed up and some pleasantly-scented candles were lit in an attempt to eliminate the warm and cloying scent of old pizza and booze. It was nearly midnight at this point, a full moon bathing the town in soft light. The edge of the sea could just about be seen peeking through from behind the houses between George's house and the edge of the land, the waves shimmering a gentle white. The pair sat at his kitchen table with steaming mugs; George insisted on making Dream a 'proper cup of British tea' for him to try and they sat there, sipping talking about everything and nothing.

"You know when I say my house doesn't normally look like... that-" George took a second to gesture to the bins filled to the brim with rubbish, a stack of plates drying on the drying rack by the sink. "I mean it."

"I never doubted that you did George." Dream gave him an encouraging smile, anticipating a rare moment where the Brit might just talk about his feelings.

"I...This has been hard... Christmastime, I mean. Normally it's something I look forward to for weeks and I love seeing my family, even if my parents weren't always the nicest about what I do and so going out and seeing everywhere all Christmas-y and decorated and just- everyone is so fucking happy because it's Christmas! It's the most fucking wonderful time of the year and I guess staying inside was less painful- god it sound so stupid out loud-"

"No it doesn't, I promise you." Dream took George's hand from where it lay cupping the mug, guiding it to rest on the space of table between them, placing his hand on top and rubbing the pad of his thumb over the peaks and valleys of his knuckles, the skin an angry red, cracked and rough but Dream didn't mind. He felt some sort of affectionate gesture was the least he could do to show him some sort of love.

"I guess I just- I miss it so fucking much. I know me and my parents didn't exactly see eye to eye but it's taken Christmas to show me quite how empty I feel and so I just- I don't want to see anything related to the time of year and at least that way I can pretend that everything is normal again." After spilling his emotions out into the rather emptily silent room George focused his eyes in his lap, his eyes glossy, and before he had time to compose himself the tears were spilling out.

"Can I hug you?" Dream asked softly, standing up to move closer to George and with that, he lost it. Like when they had first met, he clung onto Dream for dear life, fists clenching the soft fabric of Dream's hoodie, head buried into the crook of his neck as the Floridian rubbed his back soothingly. Sobs wracked his body, shaking the both of them as they echoed through the room and he didn't know else what to do except hold him closer and whisper words of comfort. When the sobs subsided and he felt more composed, George released his grip from Dream's hoodie and pulled back, looking up to meet those green eyes he had become fond of so quickly.

"Sorry I-umm... thank you for that, I guess. I don't cry often so that felt- that felt good, I'm sorry you had to be here to deal with it." George was looking down again, cheeks burning from embarrassment and covered with a sheen of tears' past trails.

"Well I'd rather I was here to help you than four thousand miles away in Florida, huh?" Dream gave him a gentle smile.

"You know, I don't think I ever told you why my parents were so upset with me back then." George let out a humourless laugh as he wandered over to the sofa, throwing himself onto the cushion, Dream quickly sitting next to him.

"You said it was about you quitting your job, didn't you?"

"I guess that was true, but that was only part of it." 

"You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to, you know that right?" Dream put his hand on his friend's knee as he gave him a look of sincerity.

"I think... I think I want to." 

"Only if you want to, okay?" 

"Well, it started with them being pissed about me quitting my 'real job' to spend more time on everything and of course they were annoyed that I was spending all my time doing video games even though that's making tons more than I ever was working before but you know that bit. I..." George sounded choked up, but he quickly cleared his throat, grasping at any semblance of composure that he had left. "Then they started to insult you. Well- not you specifically first of all, but all of you guys, saying you all were wasters with no future and that spending so much time with all of you wasn't gonna help my future at all and that I should stop talking to you all, which of course made me furious- I'm 24! I can choose my friends and they certainly have no right to insult you!" George's tone got more and more angry, his fists clenching until his previously rosy knuckles had gone white and his nails, which had of course gone uncut whilst his state of numbness brought negligence, dug deep into his palms. Once Dream reached over to unfurl his fingers, little specs of blood were starting to surface where the skin had been broken. He silently laced his fingers with George's, looking up to give him a cue to continue.

"And of course I was pissed at them for insulting my friends but then- then they insulted you. They said-" He took a deep breath, the last fleeting shreds of composure falling through his now-limp hands, laced through the other's. "They were calling you a- a _fag_ and a gay boy and that the way you acted towards me was gonna make me less-less masculine than I already am- I'm so so sorry."

"It's fine George, I promise you I'm fine." He gave their hands a squeeze, George giving the strongest one he could in response, which was pretty feeble but an effort nonetheless.

"And then- and then if it couldn't get any worse it did because you know what- you know what I ended up telling them? The one thing that could possibly make my extremely catholic parents even more furious- I was so angry I accidentally told them that I." He paused again, another deep breath, another squeeze of their hands to comfort. "I'm bisexual."

"Hey- me too!" Dream said encouragingly, getting a weak smile in response.

"Really?" 

"Yeah! We can be, like, bi buddies or something!" Dream laughed a little, causing George to giggle a little through the silent tears burning their path down his cheek, which made the stupid comment more than worth it in his eyes.

"It had taken me so so long to accept that part of me and realise that the church was wrong- being gay isn't bad, in fact, it's pretty great, but the words they said to me just made me hate myself- and still make me hate myself. I guess that's why I've been so numb. You know, this is the only time I've cried since then and honestly, in a weird way I guess it feels good to feel something at least... but seeing you made me feel much more- I still can't believe you're actually here you idiot!" _and normal George is making a comeback,_ Dream thought, not being able to hold back a silly little smile.

Quite frankly, Dream didn't know what to say. He wordlessly pulled the Brit into another hug and before he knew it he'd passed out in his arms. Dream decided that he needed the rest, scooping the sleeping brunet into his arms before stumbling up the stair to find his bedroom, placing him under the covers, and promptly passing out himself on the sofa.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is pretty long! I'm not going to lie, I'm quite proud of the fact that I've produced 2 chapters of a new fic in 2 days! Those who know me should have known that I couldn't stay that long without angst but there is plenty of fluff to come so keep on reading if that's more your thing! Once again, this isn't edited or beta-read so excuse any mistakes, I promise I will get around to editing at some point :D
> 
> Arti <3


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "George, seriously, it's okay!" Dream cut of his ramblings, meeting his hickory brown eyes, which seemed to be peppered with specks of gold as they were illuminated with the sunbeams of a late December morning. "Don't apologise for what you went through. None of this is your fault, you know that right?"

"Dream? Hey, Dream, wake up!" The voice was gentle in Dream's ear, whispers only meant for him despite the apartment being empty aside from the two of them. His eyes fluttered open, taking a second for the sleep and blurriness to be swept away by reluctant eyelids. He gave them a second to focus on the brunet leaning over him, softly rubbing his shoulder in an attempt to rouse the Floridian, and he let out a groan, stretching as his aching bones popped from, well, sleeping on a couch for 10 hours. His eyes widened in surprise as a furry grey flash darted across the room and leapt into his lap, Dream's lips turning upwards into a grin as he watched the cat circle around a few times, before finding a comfortable position and sitting down.

"Sorry for waking you up, its just 11 now and I thought it might be good to help you get over the jet lag!" George's eyes were still a little red from the night before but his expression was much brighter.

"It's okay!" Dream's voice was croaky and a little scratchy from sleep, deeper than usual and addictingly charming. "Hello Cat!" He cooed softly, a smile growing on both his and George's faces. The cat mewed in response, leaning his face into the hand scratching his chin.

"Breakfast?" George asked as he walked towards the kitchen, Dream hesitantly lifting the cat off of his lap to follow.

"What do you have?" Dream yawned as he stretched again, barely aware of the 2 inches or so of skin between his hoodie and jeans becoming exposed until he felt a hot gaze burning it, following the scald to George who turned to look away so fast that Dream could have sworn that he should have got whiplash.

"Oh- umm yeah cereal, toast, the usual stuff, not anything exciting sorry!"

"Just some cereal would be great, thanks!" Dream grabbed a bowl from the cupboard George had just opened, pouring himself some cornflakes before adding some milk and sprinkling sugar on top.

"I'm so sorry you had to sleep on the sofa!" George mumbled through a mouthful of cereal.

"It's fine, seriously! I was so tired I barely noticed it to be honest."

"Fine but once we've finished eating, I'll show you where the spare room is and we can bring your stuff up there. How long are you planning on staying, by the way?"

"Oh- my flight back is in 10 days, but if you have stuff planned I can always go see some other people for some of them-"

"No you can stay for all 10!" George interrupted him, speaking quickly and stumbling over his words. "I mean, if you want to of course."

"Okay!" Dream chuckled, watching as the Brit's cheeks went a subtle shade of pink.

"You know, I'm sorry you had to deal with... all that last night Dream I... I shouldn't have made you deal with that, especially after you had spent all night travelling and-" 

"George, seriously, it's okay!" Dream cut of his ramblings, meeting his hickory brown eyes, which seemed to be peppered with specks of gold as they were illuminated with the sunbeams of a late December morning. "Don't apologise for what you went through. None of this is your fault, you know that right?" 

George nodded slightly in response, his gaze flickering between his lap and Dream. 

"If anything, I'm glad I could be here to help you get through it all, okay? Never feel like you're a burden or a pain because you're not! I promise you." Dream gave him a comforting smile, which George attempted to mirror. "Anyway, I do have a question for you." Dream's tone changed from sincerity to something a little lighter as he grabbed the two bowls, rinsing them and putting them in the dishwasher as he spoke. "I have two plans, and you need to tell me which you would prefer over the next few days, okay?"

"I thought you were meant to be the guest, not me!" George snickered playfully.

"Does it matter?" Dream rolled his eyes, letting out a chuckle. "What I was saying is, we can either go full Christmas-mode, we can celebrate together, do gifts, have a Christmas dinner, do all that fun stuff and you can have the best Christmas ever without your family, or, we forget that it's Christmas and just do what we would have done if I came any other time of year."

"Okay..." George dragged out the word as if he was savouring the feeling on his tongue, his expression one of contemplation and confliction. "Can I have some time to think about it?" 

"Sure! How about you let me know by the end of today?" Dream proposed, and George nodded as he stood up to help Dream tidy.

The pair brought in Dream's luggage, bringing it to where he would be sleeping. Dream did admit that the bed felt a lot comfier than the sofa he slept on but refused to say that he did have a bad night's sleep anyway. They decided that it would be a good idea to take advantage of the fact that they were together in person and stream, settling on trying to beat minecraft but Dream controlled the mouse and George the keyboard.

The stream was chaotic as ever, the Christmas-themed messages coming through in chat and donations barely putting a dampener on the mood because neither could be far from elated that the other was sitting right next to them whilst they streamed rather than the usual 4365 miles, give or take a few. The footage would be perfect for a video, George somehow managed to have his facecam on all stream without Dream accidentally doing a face-reveal and Sapnap joined a voice call with them the whole time, nothing short of pissed that the two had met up without him, but all in good humour of course. 

"What do you want to do now?" George asked as he logged off his computer.

"I don't mind, why don't we have some lunch?" 

"Okay I know exactly where to take you!" George's eyes lit up and Dream couldn't help but smile.

"Where?" 

"I'm not telling you- come on, grab a coat, we're going somewhere!" George laughed, grabbing his hand and yanking the Floridian down the stairs. Dream would be lying if he said that he didn't enjoy the feeling of the warm hand in his, fingers interlocked tightly. He made a mental note to _buy some hand cream for him_ , however. _Those dry knuckles have got to be painful._

George led him out the front door and through the backstreets of Brighton. Dream took in the sights, finally having the chance to admire the town for what it was for the first time. As seagulls squawked overhead, two boys struck dumb with love walked with their hands intertwined and their hearts interlocked, neither wanting the moment to end... but alas, like all good things, it did. The loss was only very temporary, quickly broken by George:

"This, Dream, is Talia's Tea Room! The food here is _so_ good." He explained to him as they were led inside and directed to a table for 2 in the corner. The tea room was quaint, walls painted a warm cream with duck-egg blue accents, littered with vintage art. There was a table by the counter with some rather delicious looking cakes enclosed in glass domes and the tables were clad with cloths with some beautiful floral patterns.

The pair were handed menus, and once they picked, the food was delivered quickly.

"You were right, this is so good!" Dream exclaimed, his words muffled by the toastie in his mouth.

"I'm always right." George said, raising his eyebrow as he attempted to hold a serious expression for all of 2 seconds before it cracked into giggles.

"That's debatable." Dream shot back, and George rolled his eyes, dunking some more home-baked bread into his soup.

"I've been thinking about what you said earlier, you know."

"You have?" 

"Yeah- and I think... I think I've decided." George set down his spoon as he met Dream's gaze with certainty.

"There's no rush!" Dream reassured him, but George's expression remained the same.

"I've decided that I want to celebrate Christmas."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slightly shorter chapter, but I wanted to publish something! My aim is to get this finished by Christmas, although I'm not sure if I will be able to, I keep on getting more and more ideas for this!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "...I'm so happy to be here with you right now."
> 
> "You are?"
> 
> "Dream, of course I am! My best friend has just flown over from the USA to be here with me because my dysfunctional family became... more dysfunctional but it means I get to spend time with you, so its not exactly the worst thing ever."

"You do?!" Dream didn't want to influence his friend's decision but he would be lying if he said that he wasn't hoping he would choose. 

"I- I think so? I just want to have a good time over the holidays you know?" 

"Then a good time you shall have!" Dream chuckled at the way George's face lit up at the prospect of celebrating. He had a sneaking suspicion that he was hoping to find a way to celebrate somehow, even if he couldn't with his family and Dream was more than happy to oblige.

"I'll hold you to that. Let me pay-" 

"No, it's my treat George!" 

"I took you here for lunch, I've got it." George gently moved his protesting hand out the way as he took the card machine in the other to pay. Dream didn't notice the warmth that the smaller hand brought him until it had been withdrawn and he felt some sort of loss. He was quick to dismiss it to be the touch-starvation that came with a job of his kind, where more of his friends were online than nearby but deep down he knew it was something more, something he had been neglecting, or rather, suppressing, for quite a while now.

"Fine. But I'm paying for the Christmas tree." Dream huffed in mock-annoyance as they got up to leave.

"Christmas tree?" 

"That's what we're doing next!" Dream said, buzzing with excitement as they left the tea room.

"You're like golden retriever or something I swear." George told him as they walk down the road.

"Not when I'm playing Minecraft though!"

"You're such an idiot."

Dream drove them in the rental car to a Christmas tree farm, belting out the festive songs playing on the radio slightly out of tune but with the biggest grin on his face and George couldn't help but join in a couple times, not without his signature eye-roll though. Pulling into the farm car park was like entering another little world, the bushes strewn with fairy lights blinking back at them, inflatable Father Christmas and Snowmen waved gleefully at giggling children, poinsettia-red Santa hats littered throughout the crowd; the atmosphere was nothing short of electric. 

"You ready?" Dream asked as he unbuckled his seat belt, hesitating before he reached for the door. "We can go back to your house if you like... forget this ever happened and just pretend it's January or something."

"No. I think- I know this is what I want to do." George's tone was unsteady but he forced a smile. He was rubbing his knuckles roughly, Dream taking his hands and running the pads of his thumbs over the angry broken skin on them the moment he noticed, shooting him a sympathetic look before embracing the sharp breeze biting at his cheeks as it took place of the stuffy air heated from the car. The wind carried pine, freshly cooked food and jovial chatter, and Dream met George on the other side of the vehicle, sticking out his arm as an offering without really thinking and his heart felt like it was skipping a beat as for a moment as it looked like maybe George would just ignore it but that was but a fleeting thought once George interlocked their hands. They swung their arms like little kids in the playground, suppressing giggles as the walked through the entrance.

After a heated discussion, they settled on getting a tree for the living room, critiquing what must have been hundreds of trees before finally choosing one which they both deemed the right height, width and branch dispersion, because Christmas tree choosing is a serious business of course! 

"I'm so hungry!" Dream whined whilst they were waiting around for the tree to be netted so they could attempt to fit it in the car somehow.

"We literally just ate?" 

"But that was like-" He checked his phone, "-2 hours ago!" 

"Yeah, _only_ 2 hours." 

"But the food smells so good it's made me hungry again."

"You're so dumb." George laughed softly.

"Well, I'm going to get some food whether you like it or not- I think they were selling pork rolls or something by the entrance." Dream took George's hand, pulling him through the crowds, George moving quickly to catch up. Sure enough, there was a stand with a hog roast and bacon butties (both things George had to explain to Dream - apparently they weren't exactly common terms in the US).

"This is good!" Dream mumbled through his butty, his fingers dusted with flour from the bun. The sizzling bacon only tasted better when contrasted to the cold winter, something he didn't exactly get in Florida. "You know, the cold isn't too bad when your wrapped up warm." Dream commented, nonchalant.

"Oh yeah, Mr 'Florida Man'? Does it even get below 18 degrees over there?" George teased him, bumping into his shoulder as they walked.

"18 degrees? That's-"

"18 degrees Celsius. The rest of us don't use Fahrenheit!"

"Well, I'm not sure what that is in Fahrenheit, but it is pretty hot most of the time, and stuffy too. That's why we all have air con... I was thinking about the UK being too cold but I think I could get used to these kind of winters..." Dream tailed off, deep in thought.

"Wait- when you said you were thinking of moving this wasn't just within Florida?" George stopped for a second, his expression somewhere between startled and delighted.

"I don't know George, it depends whether you can convince me that the UK is worth moving to." Dream goaded with a teasing grin.

"Challenge accepted..." George trailed off, getting distracted by a bunch of children squealing as they weaved around their legs. "You know, we always used to go and get a Christmas tree on the first weekend of December - me, my dad, my mum, my sister, we always _had_ to go together. And Liv and I would always argue over the tree, but we'd all agree on one in the end, and then my parents would buy us crepes from a stand and we'd each pick out an ornament every year to add to the massive collection we already have up in the loft..."

"Yeah?" Dream encouraged him to go on, surprised to see George didn't exactly look upset or angry, more something like... reflective.

"We started slacking on it a little when Liv and I got older and moved away but it still used to be a tradition we upheld... But I'm so happy to be here with you right now."

"You are?"

"Dream, of course I am! My best friend has just flown over from the USA to be here with me because my dysfunctional family became... more dysfunctional but it means I get to spend time with _you,_ so its not exactly the worst thing ever."

"Well I'm happy I get to be here with you too!" 

"I'm not pulling you away from any of your traditions am I? I really hope I'm not cus-"

"George! Stop worrying! I've been planning this for- god for so long." He reassured him with a gentle smile.

"You have?" 

"Yeah, I have! Honestly I've been thinking about it since... _that night_ but when Sapnap and I made that bet about who could give you the best Christmas present I finally had the guts to actually do it." Dream confessed earnestly. "I made my whole family do all the christmas stuff earlier so I could come over and see you!" He chuckled slightly, but saw George's face fall slightly. "Not that they minded of course! They were perfectly happy to, and even said that they want us to video call in for Christmas dinner!"

"They said that?" George was taken aback, not expecting that sort of kindness from people he had only talked to over the phone a couple times, let alone met in person. 

"Yeah! They said they'd be happy for you to come over and spend all of Christmas with us in Florida if... yeah your family is- that's all the same."

"I could never Dream I-"

"Seriously George. But that's not something we need to think about yet." The pair fell into comfortable silence as they ambled along.

"I think it might be time for us to collect our tree, they said 15 minutes right?"

"Sure." Dream said simply, his mind fuzzy and floating at George's wording. _Our tree?_ He knew that wasn't what he was implying but god could he get used to it. As much as he could try and convince himself that his feelings were simply platonic, the butterflies bombarding his stomach at something so small would say otherwise.

The tree had been netted, and after a few slightly laughable attempts of George's to carry the tree, barely lifting it off the ground, stumbling a few steps before having to rest it again.

"Do you need some help?" Dream chuckled, watching closely as George's face screwed up in frustration yet again.

"No. I'm- I'm fine." George strained through gritted teeth.

"Georgie I love you and all but we are getting nowhere." Dream watched as a blush spread across George's cheeks, already somewhat red from the cold. He couldn't help his cheeks heating too at the unintentionally intimate phrasing, but he tried to hide behind the tree he was now carrying (much more successfully than George was).

The tree barely fit into the car, and not without a bit of a struggle and a litter of pine needles that Dream knew would be a pain in the ass to get out but was way too drowsy on joy to care. They almost drove off before realising that they had no decorations, so they quickly bought two boxes of baubles; one lime and one baby blue for obvious reasons, a string of fairy lights and a glittery star and a couple hours later, the tree looked pretty damn good. After much deliberation and one badly made smiley face mask from a paper plate, they posted a picture with the tree, leaving the fans to go wild.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Christmas fluff is only just starting! Just a note, George does have a sister but I do not know her name (nor do I intend on searching for it unless he puts it out there) so I gave her the most generic British girls name I could think of (Olivia/Liv), and if I need to name his parents I will probably do the same. I will edit all the chapters of this book at some point, I promise...
> 
> Arti <3


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I- I do, yes! You are brilliant George, more than entertaining, so incredibly perfect." He murmured, their eyes locked conveying the feelings neither dared to say out loud.
> 
> "You think- you think that I'm perfect?"

The pair spent the evening relaxing properly for the first time Dream had landed. They watched home alone with the steady crackle of the fire in hearth filling in the occasional silent moment. Fingers were buttery from popcorn, the scent of the treat intertwining with the smoke and the gentle scent of pine from the tree creating an air of comfort wrapped around the two. Dream's chest hurt from laughing at George's constant commentary on the movie, sarcastic quips and overly-critical comments which never failed to make Dream wheeze.

After, they settled down for bed. Through it was early, Dream was still a little jet-lagged, but nothing an early night couldn't cure. He did, admittedly, sleep a little better in the spare room than on the sofa. Once they woke up, after breakfast Dream thought it was time to plan the day.

"So, it's Christmas Eve." He started, sipping his tea and looking at George, who was sat on the other side of the kitchen table.

"I feel like you're about to propose a business deal or something."

"Oh come on now. Really?"

"Yes! Well then, tell me your idea then and I'll tell you if I'm going to invest." George put on a serious face, linking his hands together as they lay on the table and sitting up straight. He saw Dream looking rather confused and couldn't help but let out a giggle. "Dragon's Den?"

"Dragons- what?" He wheezed. "That's such a dumb name!"

"Dragon's den! It's a TV show, you know, like, there are businesses and the dragons who can fund the project... Not ringing any bells?" Dream only shook his head, amused. "Ok whatever, what were you saying again?"

"Plans today! Wilbur and Niki are down to come over and make ginger bread houses if you want?"

"Yeah that sounds fun!"

"Great! I'll tell them to come over in an hour or so. Is there a supermarket nearby? We could make the gingerbread but it might be easier if we just buy one of those kits... we could pick up food for tomorrow too!"

"Oh yeah there's one just down the road!"

"Let's go then!"

They grabbed their coats, walking down the road to the nearby Tesco.

"We could film the gingerbread-making for a video, if you want?" Dream asked as they looked through the shelves, which were relatively empty due to the time of year. "I don't mind wearing that paper mask again or maybe-or maybe I wouldn't wear one, I don't know."

"I think I'd rather not if that's okay... I want to enjoy the moment without worrying whether I'm being entertaining enough..." George trailed off, his voice earnest. "But only if that's okay with you! If you want to do it I'll do it, happily!" He added quickly.

"Nope no way if you don't want to do it we're not doing it."

"Are you sure?" 

"Of course! And besides, you don't need to try to be entertaining, George. You're always entertaining, even when you're not trying- _especially_ when you're not trying." Dream reassured him, placing a soft hand on the shorter's shoulder. They were stood face-to-face, barely half a foot apart. Dream was sure if he just leaned in closer he would be able to feel George's gentle breath fan across his face, feel the heat radiating from his blushing body and maybe, just maybe, lean in even more. Dream tried to suppress what ever these thoughts intruding his perfect picture of just a friendship in his mind but they were too much, bombarding any semblance of the image he was keeping as it shattered just as quickly as he tried to keep it up and all he could focus on, the only thing he could think was how fucking perfect George's lips looked, soft and rosy pink, slightly parted as he let out breaths, slightly laboured and catching in his throat.

"You- you really think that?" George spoke, but it was more of a whisper. The words were private, only for Dream's ears in a supermarket packed full of people. He stepped a little closer, Dream letting his back fall flush to the shelf behind him. His head was going into over drive and it was all so much - too much.

"I- I do, yes! You are brilliant George, more than entertaining, so incredibly _perfect_." He murmured, their eyes locked conveying the feelings neither dared to say out loud.

"You think- you think that I'm _perfect_?" George stumbled over the words, struggling to force them to form in his mouth as his breath hitched and his mind was buzzing.

"I-"

"Oh my gosh, are you GeorgeNotFound?" The squeal broke them out of their trance, George stumbling back, dazed.

"I am- err hi?" George responded, his cheeks flushed red as he looked to Dream for reassurance, who hesitantly gave him a smile.

"I love your videos so much!" The voice came from a girl who looked in her early teens. She was short - much shorter than George, and had long, chestnut-brown hair, dressed in a familiar lime-green hoodie with a smiley face printed on. Her friend stood next to her, not speaking but seemingly just as enthralled by him.

"Oh- um thank you!" He was awkward and nervous but still sporting a genuine smile, happy to have met them.

"Sorry if this is too much, but could we possibly get a photo with you?" The other girl piped up, her voice a little shaky but filled with excitement.

"Yeah, sure! Of course... oh give me your phone, he can take it." George said, gesturing to Dream, who was lurking in the shadows of the bakery section behind them.

"I like your hoodie, by the way." Dream added quickly as he took the phone, watching their eyes widen even further if that was possible.

"Holy shit- you're Dream! I love your content so much too!" 

"Thank you so much! I'd rather not be in the photo if that's alright but I'll give you a hug if you'd like one?" Dream laughed as he took a few steps back, focused on the phone screen to get the best shot (or the best one could on Christmas Eve in Tesco). The two girls smiled next to George, who, much to Dream's amusement, tentatively put his arms around the pair, not entirely sure what was called for in this kind of situation. He didn't exactly go out much, so getting recognised was not an everyday problem. 

"Here you go!" Dream handed the phone back, opening his arms so that they could give him a quick hug. He looked over to George, who stood, discombobulated and maladroit as he watched the Floridian interact with the fans with ease, and flashed him a smile, before saying his parting words, telling them how grateful he was to have such great fans, and how much he appreciated the following he had accumulated, and before he knew it it was just him and George once again.

"You're so-" He took a second, letting out a hysterical wheeze before trying to compose himself. "You're so awkward" wheeze, "it's so cute!" Dream was, to put it simply, losing his shit. He didn't know what was so funny about it, but there he was, laughing his head off. 

"I wasn't that bad!" George protested, purposefully ignoring the latter part of Dream's sentence.

"No, it wasn't that bad, but you still looked like you'd never seen a teenage girl in your life!" Dream teased him.

"Sorry that not all of us are natural extroverts like you!" George sulked, but not without a smile.

"Well, I wouldn't have you any other way, Georgie." Dream told him once he finally managed to compose himself. "I think those are the Gingerbread house kits over there!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A slightly shorter chapter, but I'm gonna try and bang 2 out tomorrow. Every time I write this it just gets longer and longer... to think I initially thought it was going to be 4-6 chapters! I'm having a great time writing it though, compulsory Christmas fic baking fluff next chapter! Once again, apologies for the lack of proof reading, I really ought to stop publishing chapters at 10pm and actually take the time to edit them lol
> 
> Artio <3


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Tell me you love me George!"
> 
> "How about if you two win, I'll tell you-" He paused, very nearly saying it accidentally, "I'll tell you what you want to hear." 

Dream sent George off to grab the Gingerbread House kits and some other sweets to decorate them with, and he gathered together all the food for a Christmas dinner. He had noticed that George's supplies of the essentials were pretty low on all fronts, so he grabbed some of them too; shower products, toothpaste, washing up liquid, basic food, some lip balm for his chapped lips and hand cream for his dry knuckles. By the time he was done the trolley was pretty full and so he probably should have anticipated the look George gave him when they reconvened at the till.

"Dream, how many people are you intending on feeding tomorrow?" George's exclaimed, eyes wide with surprise, his hands full of sweets and two boxes tucked under his arm.

"Only us! I just- I saw you were a bit low on a few things so I picked them up." Dream placed down a divider and started to load up the belt. George just stood there for a second before hurrying to help, unloading what was in his arms first.

"Oh- you really didn't have to do that, Dream." 

"But I wanted to!" Dream laughed. He insisted of paying of course, George reluctantly giving in, especially when he saw what the total came to but Dream was always notoriously stubborn and George always found it very hard to say no to him. 

Shortly after they had got home (Dream quickly caught himself calling George's house home, condemning the word to the outskirts of his brain, knowing it could quickly become a bad habit if he didn't catch it early) they unloaded the groceries, and just as they were done, there was a knock on the door.

"Wilbur! Niki! Come in." Dream gave them both tight hugs, overjoyed to be meeting his friends in real life. George stood behind him, watching them all (but mainly one blond Floridian) before Dream flashed him an encouraging smile and tentatively, he hugged the pair too. He quickly relaxed, however, his sarcastic comments quickly returning over steaming hot cups of tea as the familiarity of the two washed over him with the conversation they quickly fell into. Dream could sense that George was a little tense, resting one of his hands comfortingly on the other's knee to stop its bouncing. They discussed everything from the bet between Dream and Sapnap to Niki's kittens and once mugs were drained it was Gingerbread House time.

There had only been two kits in the shop so they had to pair up; they decided on English versus not so English so Wilbur and George took the kitchen counter, Dream and Niki getting the kitchen table. They had decided to make it a competition, choosing to tweet out photos and let the twitter stans vote on the best one. The winner didn't get a physical prize, but they did get bragging rights and that was enough to spur both George and Dream on.

"Hey! I wanted those Haribos." George pouted, reaching over to the bag of gummy bears firmly in Dream's grasp. 

"Oh, you did, Georgie?" Dream teased him, mock innocence dripping from his voice as he held them in front of his face for a second but before the shorter could grab it he held the bag above his head teasingly, watching George's hand grab for thin air.

"Yes I did! Give it to me!" He whined, jumping as high as he could yet still not being tall enough as his arms flailed around, each bounce getting closer to him until he landed on Dreams foot, stumbling into him.

"So _clumsy_." Dream whispered in his ear as he wrapped his arms around the brunet who had fallen right into his chest to steady him. He could feel George's blushing cheek pressed hot against his collarbone, his hands splayed out, firm against his chest. He was sure that his speeding heartbeat was going to betray him, hammering so hard that he was almost certain that George could hear it, feel it under his fingertips but he couldn't bring himself to care. Dream indulged in the feeling of him in his arms, allowing himself the luxury of it for just a second before forcing himself back to reality. He tossed the bag of sweets to Niki with a wink, her and Wilbur watching on with knowing smiles as they chattered about nothing in particular, before reluctantly letting him go.

"Better go choose something else, huh?" Dream laughed at an attempt to dissipate the suffocating tension, watching as George rubbed his neck awkwardly as blood rushed to his head.

"I- okay... fine! But our gingerbread house is gonna be so much better than yours." George attempted to taunt but his composure was lacking too far for it to be threatening in any sense.

"Whatever you say!" Dream headed over to Niki, who shot him a rather questioning look as he grabbed a few more bags of sweets before meeting her at the table.

"What do you think the chances we get it standing up on its own are?" Dream joked as he stood next to her, reading the writing on the back of the box.

"About one in 7.5 trillion, I'd say." George sniggered from the other side of the kitchen, causing Wilbur to keel over laughing, gasping for breaths, which consequently caused Niki to lose it too. "Too soon?"

"Nah, you're just wrong, you'll see!" He shot back, Niki nodding in agreement.

"So, George huh?" She grinned, unpacking the kit and laying out all the components in front of them. There were the sheets of pre-baked gingerbread, bags of icing mix and a rather flimsy-looking set of instructions. _This shouldn't be too hard,_ Dream thought.

"Wait- what do you mean 'George huh?'" 

"You know what I mean, Dream- can you grab me some water so I can make the icing up?" Niki smirked teasingly, methodically sorting everything out. Dream generally did like to take charge, but it was very clear that she knew what she was doing and Dream, not so much.

"You should talk to him about it while you're here with him, you know." Niki offered, nonchalant, as Dream had come back with a mug of water and was now mixing in the icing sugar, under Niki's command of course.

"You think so?" Dream asked as he filled up the piping bag.

"Definitely! Do it in person or you'll regret it when you've gone back."

"Yeah?" 

"Yeah." Niki paused, scanning over everything laid out on the table. "Okay, I'll take the piping bag and do the decorations on the roof, you do the main structure, just spread some icing on the joints, press the two pieces together and hold it there until it's dried enough." 

"Yes ma'am." He brought his hand up to his forehead in a salute, drawing a giggle out of her. He initially struggled with the task, but after a few toppled walls and one slightly worrying crack (which Niki promptly fixed, of course) , the gingerbread had some semblance of structural integrity. Dream paused for a second, watching with fascination as Niki skilfully piped a delicate pattern onto the roof panels, not a drop of icing out of place.

"Where did you learn to do that?" He asked, pulling her focus away from the piping

"Oh, I make cakes occasionally but I also draw." She shrugged, returning to her craft.

"It's so good!" He praised her, before pausing for a second, formulating a plan. "Give me a second." Dream added, grabbing the cup of icing he had been using before cautiously creeping over to the other table. He watched George, his concentration consumed by the decorating he was doing, as he crept up behind him as silently as he could. He was grateful for his socks, which muffled each step he took before he paused, about a foot behind the shorter.

"Surprise." He said loudly, his mouth mere inches away from George's ear. The brunet jumped in response, turning around to face Dream, who swiftly dunked his finger in the icing and smeared it on the end of George's nose. He couldn't help but internally coo at how adorable George looked, the thought noisily bombarding all the others, shouting too loud to be ignored. What probably looked like a lovesick smile spread across his face but he didn't care anymore, his mind was consumed with _George, George, George._

"Dream!" He screamed in true George fashion, reaching up to touch his nose and scowling when the fingertip was white. "You're _so_ annoying." 

"But you love me." Dream shot back, the same dopey smile still there.

"I don't know Dream, do I?" 

"Yes you do!" 

George only raised an eyebrow in response, unable to suppress giggles at Dream's goofy expressions.

"Tell me you love me George!"

"How about if you two win, I'll tell you-" He paused, very nearly saying it accidentally, "I'll tell you what you want to hear." 

"Fine! Niki is great at decorating you know!" Dream boasted, shooting her a smile.

"Gogy is not too bad either, I've gotta give it to him." Wilbur added from where he sat across from George. Dream took a second to actually see what George had been doing, and Wilbur was right, it was pretty damn good. 

"When did you learn to bake?" Dream asked, peering over George's shoulder as he got back to his handiwork.

"Oh- Liv went through a phase of being obsessed with baking! She used to watch tons of youtube videos on it and was always making stuff, I'm pretty sure she asked for the same expensive mixer for Christmas three years in a row, but she forced me to help her a few times!" George rambled, his face illuminating at the memories before dropping suddenly at what Dream could only assume was remembrance of his current predicament.

"Ahh." Dream's voice was soft. He wasn't sure what to say, so he placed his hand on George's shoulder, giving him a sympathetic look before walking back over to Niki.

About an hour later, both houses were done. They both looked surprisingly good, admittedly much better than he had expected. Photos were snapped for the twitter poll and then the houses were destroyed much faster than they had been made, eaten along with another cuppa. In this moment, Dream revelled in how great it felt to be able to actually be with his friends, not just talking through the internet. Being able to see them in real time, hear their voices without the distortion of four thousand miles, able to reach out and touch them, in the flesh. The appeal of moving to the UK was only growing, and he wasn't mad about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't really know how to end this but it's a quarter to 11 at night and I'm sleepy so this will have to do. Shoutout to @putthycat for being a lovely person and also agreeing to beta this (I've never had a beta reader before!!), and if you are enjoying this you will love her fic, The Bodyguard, it's a royalty AU and pretty damn good if you ask me, so go and show it some love and tell them I sent you! Only a few days until Christmas, and I have finally planned out the fic; there will be 3 more chapters and an epilogue! Expect daily uploads at the least.
> 
> Artio <3


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I love you." Dream whispered as they pulled apart for air. He repeated the phrase between kisses, peppering them on George's lips, the tip of his nose, those faint freckles dotted on the soft skin below his eyes, in between his eyebrows. "I love you so much George." 

As the door swung shut, Dream turned to George. He gathered his cluttered thoughts together in a way that at least formed some semblance of sense before drawing in a deep breath.

"Hey, George, I-"

"Dream-" 

They both started at the same time, then let out a breathy laugh, the tension still thick.

"Oh- sorry, go on," Dream was curious as to what George had to say.

"No you go first!" George chuckled at the awkwardness of both of them.

"No George, I insist, I wanna know what you were going to say!" 

"Fine." George sighed jokingly, never failing to find Dream's stubbornness amusing. "I was just going to ask you if you wanted to maybe go on a walk with me? It's really nice at this time of the afternoon because the sun is setting and there aren't so many people around." Dream noted that George looked surprisingly vulnerable, like he had asked him something much more intimate than to just go on a walk. He wondered if he had been planning on saying something else perhaps, but the thought was lost among the chaos within his mind almost instantly.

"Oh, okay! Sure!" Dream let out a breath of relief, although he wasn't entirely sure why.

"What were you gonna say?" George asked with curiosity, pausing for a second after having grabbed his coat to properly turn and face him.

"Oh- nothing, don't worry." Dream muttered dismissively, his eyes not daring to leave the shoelaces he was tying, wrapping rings of string around his forefinger, pulling them tight before letting them loose as he watched the blood return to his fingertips. He gave himself a few seconds to compose himself. He was frustrated that he couldn't get the words out, tell George every little detail of each nook and cranny of his thoughts, his dreams, his wishes. 

"Are you sure?" 

"Yeah-yeah I am... shall we go?" Dream cursed himself for changing the subject, for not taking the perfect opportunity that was practically handed to him on a silver platter. He could have so easily talked his mind and, _god_ did he want to, but something, somewhere between his heart and his head, was stopping him. He didn't know what it was, and he didn't have time to dwell on it because before he knew it they were out of the door, ambling down the lamplight-bathed street. The sky started at a muted coral, spreading into something between slate and indigo before settling on a rich admiral blue, dappled with blinking stars and a waning moon. Each breath formed little clouds of condensation, quickly reduced to wisps.

They walked in silence, but it was peaceful. The steady drone of cars, the occasional cry of seagulls, the distant lapping of the sea, all contributing to the steady ostinato that was Brighton at sunset. Dream felt like there was something to say, it was on the tip of his tongue but he didn't want this awkward, blissful limbo to end.

"Hey, Dream?" George shattered the illusion Dream had been conjuring up in his head. He hummed inquisitively in response, moving his gaze from the sky to a sight arguably just as pretty. "You know when you move out from your house, I know this might be in a long time and everything but- you know, I would absolutely love it if you maybe moved in with me?" His voice was a little shaky and he sported a nervous smile, rubbing his knuckles roughly as Dream had come to learn to be one of his little quirks he did when he was anxious.

"Really?" Dream was nothing short of ecstatic at the idea, his thoughts struggling to keep up with the rapid beating of his heart. "You- you'd want that?"

"Yes- of course I'd want that. More than - God - more than anything."George laughed gleefully, and Dream revelled in his bewitching smile. 

"You do?" 

"Yes, Dream. If you want to of course, I don't want to force you-"

"I would love nothing more than to move in with you!" He laughed, hearing it echo on empty rooftops as they fell into a lulled quiet once again.

"You know, I- I don't know how to say this, I just- I can't imagine ever going back to how it was, you know, only talking over voice-chat, living so far away. I know you've only been here two days Dream, but I just- I can't imagine going back to that- I don't want to imagine going back to that." The confession was earnest, and Dream couldn't agree more. 

"Me too... You know, if we're gonna live together you should probably call me Clay." 

"Clay?" George spoke under his breath, trying the name out on his tongue.

"It sounds nice when you say it." Dream murmured before he could stop himself, watching George's cheeks rush red, his pale skin enveloped in warm, gentle light.

"It's gonna be weird, not calling you Dream after all these years." George laughed softly, forming little puffs of condensation in the wintry air. 

"I'm sure you'll get used to it."

"You know, _Clay_ , it's gonna be nice seeing you, here, every day. This feels like a dream." George scoffed lightly, reaching for his hand. Their fingers interlocked as if it was natural, something they had done countless times before. Despite both of their hands being cold, they warmed each other, sending heat curling up Dream's arms and into his chest. 

"If it is then I don't want to wake up." Dream turned to face George, reaching for his other hands. The clouds of their breath's intermingled, their eyes locked. 

"I really like you, Clay... I have for a while- more than platonically, I mean and we can just forget about this if you don't feel the same way but I just- it's been eating me up alive and I totally get it if you just want to go back to being friends, that's fine but I needed to say it, out loud, to you. I really, really like you." 

Dream was gobsmacked. All the breath in his lungs had been stolen from him and the words in his mind were all-consuming. He sifted through his head for something but a coherent sentence wasn't coming to him any time soon.

"Please say something, just-" George started, but was cut off by a kiss. George's lips were warm, slightly rough but so perfect against Dream's. He reached a hand up to caress George's cheek, his fingertips resting in the soft crook behind his ear. Dream felt him shiver and pulled away slowly.

"Sorry, my hand's cold isn't it." Dream murmured with a smile. George brought his hand up to meet the one on his cheek, gently pulling it away to allow their palms to meet.

"Your hands are so big." George commented, his gaze flitting between Dream's face and his hands but never leaving him, he couldn't bear to look anywhere else.

"Or maybe your's are just small." He chuckled, lacing their fingers together once again. "You know, I think I liked you too for a long while before I actually acknowledged it... I think I was suppressing it for so long because I was so sure that you were straight and even if you were gay you wouldn't like _me_ , but as soon as I met you in person, those feelings- they were too hard to keep down."

"Was I just that great?" George teased him, leaning in to close the impossibly large space between them.

"More than great." 

"You were how I knew I was bi, you know." George uttered softly. "I just couldn't get you out of my head. That's why I got really flaky with you for a while when I was twenty. It took me a while to come to terms with my feelings but once I did I could finally accept a part of me I'd ignored for so long." 

Dream just kissed him again, not knowing how to tell him how he felt in any way but that. The action conveyed the years of feelings that simply couldn't be put into words, longing which had brewed for so long inside of them, passion forced down for so long that it came up stronger than ever. 

"I love you." Dream whispered as they pulled apart for air. He repeated the phrase between kisses, peppering them on George's lips, the tip of his nose, those faint freckles dotted on the soft skin below his eyes, in between his eyebrows. "I love you so much George." 

"I..." He started, the words stuck in his throat somewhere. "I didn't say it before because I knew I would have meant it." George opted for instead.

"You don't have to say it now, it's fine," Dream allowed the tips of his fingers to travel along the path his lips just had, the skin so soft, cherry-red blush against snowdrop-white.

"I want to..." He trailed off, looking up to the stars winking their encouragement back at him. "I love you, Clay. I love you. And I mean it." 

Dream pressed soft kisses to his cracked knuckles, a silent promise of sorts to always take care of him. 

"Let's go home shall we? It's getting a little cold." 

"Of course you would say that, Mr 'Florida Man'" George rolled his eyes with a chuckle, the same eyes that were still dazed with the love he felt.

"Sorry, it's gonna take a little getting used to. I make a great hot chocolate though... I'll have to make you one when we get home or I think my hands will stay frozen forever." Dream laughed.

"What if I just always hold them, that will keep them warm won't it!"

"Who knew you were so sappy George?" Dream teased, leaning into him as they stumbled along the road.

"Oh shut up! I know you love it, don't you."

"More than you could ever know."

The evening was filled with the crisp winter air, sickly-sweet hot chocolate and sweeter kisses that tasted of it. They settled to bed late at night, holding each other as if they never wanted to let the other go again, and in a way, they wouldn't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two more chapters of the main story to go! I'm gonna try and write them both tomorrow (Christmas eve, for those of you reading in the future), but if I don't maybe I'll end up writing one on Christmas! Or maybe I won't, I don't know. I hope everyone who is on their Christmas holidays is having a great rest :D
> 
> Artio <3


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Although George missed his family dearly he felt like he had found another and he couldn't have been happier about it.

"Merry Christmas!" Clay murmured softly, blinking the sleep away from his eyes and pressing a gentle kiss to George's forehead. An incoherent protesting mumble of some sort was all that George could manage, burying his face further into the crook of Dream's neck.

"George c'mon, it's nine thirty and Christmas! We gotta get up!" He mussed the mess of brown hair under his chin before gently lifting George up for a second in an attempt to sit up.

"No, stay here!" George whines were muffled as he wrapped his arms tighter around Dream.

"No, we gotta get up, I'll go make some breakfast." Dream laughed, crawling his way out of George's bone-crushing grip.

"Fine, you shower first while I get up then." He mumbled as he curled up into the duvet.

"Okay!" Dream shouted back as he left the bedroom. His heart was swelling with adoration for the other man and he couldn't help the lovesick grin plastered over his face. After a quick wash, brushing his teeth and changing into some sweatpants and a t-shirt, Dream made a start on breakfast. He was scrambling some eggs, belting out "White Christmas" along with the music on the radio when he head the soft footsteps of George padding down the stairs.

"Holy shit, Clay." George's eyes were wide as he took in the sight. The previously-empty space under the tree was filled with presents, large and small, all wrapped in wrapping paper of crimson and gold, emerald green, glittery silver (or what George could assume to be those colours; Christmas was a rather unfortunate time for a protanopic person.). "What the fuck is all this? When... what..?" He was speechless, and despite all that Dream had done for him, it was in this moment he really felt like someone truly cared for him again. Without even thinking he ran over and embraced Clay as tightly as he could.

"My family all got you presents! They insisted, of course, they love you! And that big one over there is Sapnap's, it was tricky wrapping it without you noticing but I made Will distract you yesterday so I could do it quickly without you noticing, and the rest I _might_ have put there when I said I was going to the bathroom last night..." Dream rambled, trailing off as he noticed the tears pricking at George's eyes. "No no no don't cry, I'm so sorry I-" but the apology was cut off with a kiss. It was soft and tender, with all the love of 5 years of pent up feelings.

"I don't deserve you." George uttered, tears streaming down his cheeks, his smile wide.

"No, you deserve more." Dream responded with a gentle laugh, caressing the pale skin of his wet cheeks as he brushed away rogue tears with the pad of his thumb. George just shook his head, looking up in adoration, unconsciously leaning into the touch of Dream's warm hands cupping his face. "I'm just gonna take the eggs off the heat so they don't burn, okay?" He said softly as he left the shorter, who swiftly moved to lay the table for the two of them, something he had become so accustomed to in the short time Dream had been there that he almost did it automatically.

"Here you go." Dream smiled as he placed one plate in front of George, the other in front of his spot at the table. His mouth watered at the sight of the scrambled eggs, bacon, baked beans and toast (his attempt at a full English which, admittedly, was not bad despite the lack of about half of the typical items) that he had prepared and he didn't hesitate to dig in. They ate in quiet at first, both starving and worrying more about finishing off the delicious breakfast before it got cold than starting a conversation, and Dream's mind was fuzzy at the domesticity of it all. It made him all the more exited to move, just to get to experience every single undoubtedly normal moment with George by his side. 

"That was so good! Thank you, Clay." George said as the last morsel of food on his plate had been consumed.

"It was good, wasn't it?" 

"You're always so _cocky_ , aren't you." George teased him with a chuckle.

"Well, it was true, wasn't it! I was just trying to make a Proper Full English Breakfast for you." Dream put on his best attempt at George's accent, failing miserably.

"I hate you." He sighed over-dramatically, rolling his eyes jocosely.

"No you don't." 

"No I don't."

The next few hours were filled with scalding hot mugs of tea, board games and uncontrollable laughter and before they knew it, it was time to start making the Christmas dinner. Dream offered to do the turkey and the veggies, George insisting that he would make him the best roast potatoes he had ever tasted whilst also preparing the other sides. The radio, left on since Dream had been making breakfast, played Christmas tunes both old and new, the pair singing along to each and every one.

"You know, you're not bad at singing at all when you actually try." George commented as Dream was part-way through 'Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas'. His voice was rich and full when he sung, perfect for jazz and every note that left his mouth made George a little more head-over-heels, if that was even possible at this point.

"I did choir a long long time ago, but I have started singing actually. My Dad gave me his old guitar he found clearing out the garage the other week, so I tried to learn some songs I like! I'm not that great yet but I can play some simple things now!"

"How come you get to be good at everything?" George pouted playfully, giving him a quick peck on his cheek before returning his focus to the potatoes he was peeling.

After a couple hours and a few near-disasters, the dinner was ready! They filled their plates with as much food as was physically possible, as is standard on Christmas, and rather than sitting opposite each other like they would usually, they decided sitting next to each other would be better for the video-call. George propped up the iPad Dream had got him earlier that year on a couple books he had lying around so that they both fit comfortably in frame.

"'George is gay' at least I was right about that." Dream commented, remembering what he had engraved on the back of it in what was simply a funny bit at the time but was all-too-true now.

"Oh shut up! So are you!" George laughed, although his joyful expression dropped quickly to something more serious. "Are you sure your family don't mind me being here? God- I don't want to impose or anything, I mean you're already over here instead of in Florida with them because of me..."

"George. I'm pretty sure my siblings would rather just see you than have to talk to me as well - they love you to bits! You've gotta come over at some point so you can actually meet them in person."

"Do we tell them about... us?" George took Dreams hand, which was resting on the table, and pulled into his lap, fingers intertwined.

"I... I dunno, George, whatever you'd prefer... How about we wait until you come and visit me over in Florida before I move over here, we can tell them in person!" Dream's eyes illuminated at the prospect, his heart swelling at the thought of introducing him as _his_.

"Who says I'm going to Florida?" George teased gently, squeezing the hand in his and grinning involuntarily at the one he got back.

"Me. You don't get a choice, you're coming over."

"Oh no, you're forcing me to go to Florida, how awful." George rolled his eyes sarcastically. "We should probably facetime them now, it's already 5 past!"

George was a little tense whilst Dream was setting up the the call, and of course he could tell.

"Seriously, Georgie, they all love you, you have nothing to worry about." He spoke softly, reassuring, kind emerald eyes meeting anxious chestnut ones.

"If you say so..."

"I mean it George. I'm gonna call them now, is that okay?"

He took in a deep breath, relaxing the tight grip he had on Dream. "Yes, it's okay. Now join the call or our food is gonna be cold!"

They were welcomed to the dinner with warm smiles and kind words and George quickly relaxed. Dream wasn't lying when he said that his siblings loved him; they took every opportunity to ask about life in the UK, as they did every time he spoke to them. Dream's younger sister was the one he had spoken to most, and the quick wit and sarcastic demeanour that they both shared was very quickly used against Dream.

The food they had prepared was delicious, nearly as good as the dinner his mum always made, George told Dream. His parents were so lovely to George, knowing more-or-less the situation he was in and feeling absolutely terrible about it so they treated him gently, and Dream was secretly thanking them in his head every time they were the cause of George's infectious smile, of which there were many.

Although George missed his family dearly he felt like he had found another and he couldn't have been happier about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter of them being soft. I love writing fluff! It's a little shorter but it's Christmas Eve so I have been busy today. I hope everyone who celebrates Christmas has a lovely day tomorrow :D I'll see if I have time to write the final chapter then but if not, expect it on Boxing Day and the epilogue the day after! Half of this I wrote on my phone whilst watching Die Hard with my family so excuse any mistakes.
> 
> Artio <3


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "...you said you started playing guitar the other week, didn't you?"
> 
> "Where's this going, Georgie?"
> 
> "Play me something!" He grinned and Clay couldn't even dream of saying no to him.

"I'm absolutely stuffed!" Dream sighed as he reclined in the armchair. They had demolished just about as much roast as they possibly could and then had eaten dessert on top of it.

"I'm so full I think I might _die_." George groaned with a laugh, slumping down on the sofa.

"You can't die yet, I've only got to see you in real life for 3 days!" Dream exclaimed over-dramatically and George only laughed in response. "Should we do presents now?" 

"Okay- wait let me go and grab something," George pushed himself up and stretched, his bones letting out satisfying cracks as they moved back into place, before rushing up the stairs without another world. Dream shot him a questioning look (which, of course, George did not catch), shrugged to himself, then decided to text Sapnap to let him know that George was about to open what he sent him.

"Nick wants me to tell you that he was gonna call but they're just about to have lunch and his mom isn't letting him get away!" Dream yelled up the stairs, equal parts too lazy and too full to move; he was coming down soon anyway. He waited for a response, only to be met with the increasingly loud footsteps of George practically running down the stairs.

"I'm back. What was that?" He was slightly out of breath from running, ( _he plays video games for a living; what can you expect?_ Dream thought to himself, smiling at his own internal humour, which earned him a rather quizzical look from George).

"Oh, Nick just texted to say he wished he could call but his mom is forcing him to have lunch now." Dream repeated, moving from the middle of the sofa to the left and patting the space next to him, beckoning George to come sit. He threw himself onto the comfy pillows, shuffling as close to Dream as he physically could and then wrapping his arm around the taller's shoulders in a physically awkward side-hug of sorts.

"Well he shouldn't miss Christmas dinner to talk to us - we can do that any day of the year!" George laughed softly. As he trailed off, his expression was replaced with something closer to nervousness than the previous glee. "I'm sorry, I didn't have much time to get you anything, but I saw this at the supermarket... sorry it's not much." George mumbled, pressing the small, rectangular parcel into Dream's strong hands, which were resting in his lap. He carefully ran his pointer finger along the paper to undo the sellotape without ripping it too much, and something about how much care he was taking tugged the edges of George's mouth into a smile.

"George! I love it." Dream was grinning ear to ear. In his hands was a bracelet, lime green, white and black strings woven into an intricate pattern. It was perfect; the best gift he could ask for, in a way. Most other things he, to be quite frank, could just buy himself but this was something personal, something that truly meant the world to him, and he didn't hesitate in tying it around his wrist, secured with a tight knot.

"You do?"

"Of course I do - I'm never gonna take it off now! It's your turn now though." Dream laughed as he hopped up, gathering as many presents as he could possibly carry at once and placing them all on the sofa between them, enjoying the nostalgia that the satisfying crinkle of the wrapping paper would always bring him. "Open my one first!" He exclaimed excitedly, pushing a cube-shaped parcel wrapped in rather distinct paper into George's hands.

"Okay, okay! It's not very Christmassy, is it?" George teased him, turning the present in his hands, running his fingertips along the sharp edges. Unlike the rest of the gifts which donned paper depicting jade-green Christmas trees, strawberry-red Santa hats, robin red breasts, burgundy baubles, the present in his hands was sporting bright blue paper dotted with constellations and crescent moons.

"Yeah, I know it's not exactly Christmassy but it was the only blue paper I could find-"

George's eyes widened in realisation. "Because I can-"

"-because you can see it, yeah." Dream finished.

"Thank you." George told him with sincerity, taking a second to get lost in Dream's eyes. He had heard many many times that they were green but he could still appreciate them, even if they looked a little bit different. For him, they were a radiant gold, fading into a chestnut brown. They were comfort, warmth, everything safe to him.

"Are you gonna open it then?" Dream asked, itching in anticipation like a child waiting for Father Christmas.

"Yes!" George laughed, tearing at the paper to reveal what was inside. "Dream! People are seriously gonna think you're my sugar daddy or something!!"

"What? I have money, why can't I spend it on what matters to me?" He chuckled. "You kept on missing events so maybe this will help you keep the time better- open it too!"

"Why? What's on the inside..." George trailed off as he saw what he meant. Inside the box was a rather expensive watch, heavy, well made, simple but classy, but that wasn't what caught his eye - what did was the inscription on the back.

_So that you can always keep a part of me close to you_   
_\- Dream_

"Dream - Clay, I love it. I love it so much!" He tried to put it on, fiddling with the clasp with his one free hand. After about a minute of this rather amusing sight, Dream reached over to secure the watch around his wrist. His fingertips set trails of fire ablaze every inch of skin that they touched, delightfully contrasting with the cool metal. 

George then proceeded to get through all the presents that Clay had brought from his family, accumulating a small pile of rather typical but still greatly appreciated presents. After ten minutes or so, all that was left was Sapnap's, three boxes sitting proudly under the tree, significantly larger than the rest.

"Oh god, what has he got me- this better not be because of that stupid bet of yours!" George sighed, reaching over to unwrap the first. "Holy shit."

"We both noticed that you kept on mentioning that you wanted to start guitar or something, he actually texted me immediately after we started the bet to tell me what he was buying you so that I wouldn't get you the same thing!" Dream laughed softly.

"A Fender though?! They're so expensive but they're so cool, holy shit I can't believe it!" George exclaimed delightedly. He opened the box to reveal a powder blue electric guitar with white detailing. "This is so cool- wait you said you started playing guitar the other week, didn't you?"

"Where's this going, Georgie?"

"Play me something!" He grinned and Clay couldn't even dream ( **pun intended** ) of saying no to him like this, those beautiful coffee-brown doe eyes pleading back at him.

"I don't know, I'm not sure if I can-"

"Come on, for me? You gotta show me how it sounds!" George begged, handing it to him.

"Oh okay, fine, but don't expect much!"

They unwrapped the other two presents; a guitar case and an amp, and after plugging it in and fiddling with the settings until it sounded right to Clay, he tuned it, giving a few experimental strums before looking back to George's expectant eyes.

"This song should be rather fitting- I really like this band called the Lumineers-"

"Oh I know them, you showed me that song by them - 'Flowers In Your Hair', right? I listened to that on repeat for a few months after you sent it, I'm sure I still know the words!"

"You did?" Clay was taken aback, smiling uncontrollably.

"Of course I did: you sent it to me!" Dream could have sworn that he melted right then and there.

"Well they did a cover of Blue Christmas, and I wanted to learn something seasonal so I thought it might be a good idea and-"

"Quit stalling, Clay. I see what you're doing!" George giggled, giving him a gentle shove on his shoulder as Dream ran his fingers along the thin metal strings.

"Okay, okay, let me just-" he strummed a chord, glancing to George who sported a reassuring smile. He took a deep breath, poised his hand to strum, and started to sing:

" _I'll have a Blue Christmas without you_  
 _I'll be so blue thinking about you_  
 _Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree_  
 _Won't mean a thing dear, if you're not here with me_

_I'll have a blue heartache for certain_   
_And when those blue memories starts hurtin'_   
_You'll be doin' all right with your Christmas of white_   
_But I'll have a blue, blue Christmas_

_And when those blue heartaches start hurtin'_  
 _I'll have a blue memory for certain_  
 _And you'll be doin' all right, with your Christmas of white_  
 _But I'll have a blue, blue Christmas_  
 _You'll be doin' all right, with your Christmas of white_  
 _But I'll have a blue, blue Christmas_ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we are everyone: the final chapter! There is an epilogue to come, so keep an eye out for that in the next few days (I am going to take a day off the daily uploads though!). I will do the sentimental shit in full next chapter but to be concise, this is my first completed full-length (ish) fic! I'm so glad I persevered, I've had such a great time writing it and it seems you guys have enjoyed reading it too!
> 
> Merry Christmas to anyone reading on the day I published it, and see you in the epilogue!
> 
> Arti <3

**Author's Note:**

> I had this idea earlier and wrote it in a rush over a few hours whilst procrastinating various different things. Apologies, it's really not the best written piece of writing and I will edit it at some point. I promise it will become more christmas-y (and interesting) in the next few chapters, and it will probably end up being 4-6 chapters long? I haven't decided yet.  
> Happy Holidays!  
> Artio <3


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